"Destination Soap" Kim's visits to Salem & Sunset Beach






















































NBC STUDIOS IN BURBANK, CA 7/2/99

Ok, we got to the studios and were walking around trying to find out where to enter besides the main entrance because visitors enter in the public relations area on the side of the building. I see the sign so I go toward it then I look up and I'm in Salem Place (The fictional shopping center used on "Days of our Lives"). For those of you who've been, you know how small it is. "The Gift Box" store is about the size of a small bathroom. They say the camera adds 10 pounds to people. It also adds to everything else. It's really cool and colorful like a circus. It's a cute place. Anyone can walk up to it. It's not closed off, there were no guards. I'm sure it is when they're taping though. During the week, we went back three more times to see if they were taping outside but they weren't. They were not taping outside that day either so the Java Cafe sign was down, the fake flowers were in a big clump where the tables usually sit. The benches were also in that area. There were signs covering the Java Cafe's (also used as Johnny Angels) windows informing people that it is a "Days of Our Lives" set and food is not served there. I guess fans have tried to order food there before. Across the street from the Salem Place set is a little grassy hill and steps going down it and a sidewalk and bench. It's used in scenes when they're supposed to be in the park. You might remember Austin and Carrie rollerblading there or Mike pulling up in his new sports car to show Carrie. Over to the right is a parking lot. The Salem Cinema doors actually lead into the gift shop where you can buy NBC shows merchandise and get tickets for "The Tonight Show". It's also a waiting area for the tour. The wall is lined with framed posters of NBC shows. They have one of Bo and Hope hanging up. Now it's time for the tour to start. It begins in a little screening room where they show us a film about NBC. How some shows are taped and some are filmed and other things. The back wall of the room had a painted black and white mural of different NBC stars over the years. Among them was Deidre Hall. After we watched the film, we went into the "Days" prop area. There were familiar pieces of furniture and walls around and rolled up carpets. Lots of DiMansion looking props. A prop warehouse was over to the side but we couldn't go in. I could still see in a little from where I was standing. I saw a framed photo of Marlena and Roman (the old Roman), A "Bella" poster and that "KILL THE B****" sign used for Sami's execution. The tour guide said that "Days" never throws anything away. He said that if for instance a silver candle holder is sitting on someone's table one day and the next day it's gold, they will get tons of letters and phone calls. So they keep all of their props. The guide took us down a hallway with glassed in cases on the sides. They displayed Jay Leno's stunt head, Johnny Carson's fake noses and Deidre Hall's head wearing the wig that Marlena wore to the Paris ball in 96. A little further down the hall is the costume department. There was a another tour group standing in front of the window so I couldn't see in very well but I did see a wedding dress worn by Kristian Alfonso (Hope), there was another dress beside it. I think it was worn by Lisa Rinna (Ex-Billie). After that we got to see part of Marlena's penthouse. I'm sorry I have to expose you like this Doc but your house is tacky in person. Paint peels, dents and scratches. You just can't see them on camera. There are two doors on it. A small one for the men to walk through to make them appear big and a large one for the women to make them look small. To the right of the penthouse was the hospital balcony. Other sets were folded up and and labled, "Jonsey's Townhouse", "Morgue", etc. They had part of the cemetary set up too. We walked outside to see Jay Leno's parking space. Across the parking lot is another building (I think it's where Sunset Beach is taped) and the NBC commisary. We didn't get to go over there. As the guide was talking, I looked over and saw Kevin Spirtas and Patrika Darbo (Craig and Nancy) walking to the commisary. My friend was standing in front of me and I started going "look, look!". We both just started cracking up because we just do that. I think there's something wrong with us. We think everything's funny. I wanted to run over to see Kevin and Patrika but I didn't want to get into trouble. They told us at the beginning of the tour not to mob anyone. So we went back inside to see Leno's set. It's really dull in person. It's much prettier on TV. The guide wanted to take us to see the "Access Hollywood" stage but they were taping so we couldn't go in. He took us to Johnny Carson's old studio that later became Howie Mandell's. In the hall outside of that studio are a bunch of autographed photos of different celebrities. I saw some photos from "Days" stars on the wall too. Victor Alfieri (Ex-Franco), Lisa Rinna and Jon Aniston (Victor). Now we go down to Studios 2 and 4, the home of "Days". On the door is a painted portrait of Tom and Alice Horton. One soundstage was closed because they were taping, but the other was open. He let us peek in but not go in. The actors were out to lunch at the time, some of them were on the other soundstage taping. Before I looked in, I saw Patrika Darbo again walking around talking to some of the workers there. She was about to go into make up. She was wearing the hospital outfit that she wears on the show. Then she left. I went to look into the soundstage and they had Austin's apartment set up. It's so small. A lady asked the tour guide if the microwave actually works and he said yes. There was another set up but it didn't have any furniture in it so I didn't recognize it. After I looked, I backed out and a little away from the group. There were more big props in the hall and I was looking at them. They were stacked up and there was a little space between them. Through the space I saw Roark Critchlow (Mike) coming around the corner. I got all nervous because he was about to walk right by me. He had a small group of people with him (about 4). They may have been fans that he was giving a private tour. I was just standing there staring at him and smiling. He saw me and gave me a warm, sweet smile right back. I said "hi" to him, he said "hi" back. He slowed down when he walked past me so I knew he was waiting for me to say something else but I was too shy and I continued to smile and stare. He seems to be a lot taller in person. He was very good looking. He was wearing a suit. After that I saw the actor who plays lawyer Gregory Sharmain. He had on a T-shirt,overalls and an earring. I knew he looked familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I realized it was him. He just wasn't in his suit and tie like he usually wears. The tour ended back in Salem Place. The pay phones really work. Our guide said that they had to do something about the phones because people would be watching the show and when a character was using the phone on the show, some viewers would pause the tape or watch very close and get the phone number. Then they would try to call them not knowing that they're actors and not really the characters they play. He said they would try to call and warn Marlena that something bad was about to happen to her and things like that. They also didn't realize that the shows are taped weeks in advance so during taping, all of a sudden the phones in Salem Place would start ringing off the hook. They couldn't figure out why until they realized that everytime the phones would start ringing. One of the characters would be using it on the episode that the viewers were seeing for that day. So they had to do something so people can't see the numbers anymore. I can't believe some people! He also said that sometimes people try to stick their tour sticker that we have to wear on the set somewhere so they can see if their sticker makes it on an episode. He told us not to do it. Since he told us not to do it, I had the sudden urge to do it but I didn't. That was the end of the tour. It's a lot of fun. If you're ever in Burbank you should visit. It's neat-o!

SEAL BEACH (AKA SUNSET BEACH) 7/6/99
Seal Beach is the town where they tape outdoor scenes for "Sunset Beach". There is a real Sunset Beach that you have to drive through to get to Seal Beach. Seal Beach is a lot nicer than Sunset Beach. Right when you get to the beach the pier that they use on the show is right there. You can't miss it. To the right of the pier is the lifeguard headquarters where Michael and Casey work. You know the little building at the very end of the pier? It's a neat little 50's style cafe called "Ruby's". They have yummy food. After that we walked across the the street to Main Street lined with cool little shops and eating places. The first place on the left side of the street was the Icecream and Frozen Yogurt shop where Ben took Benjy. A few week later while watching Sunset Beach I realized that the ice cream shop is also the famous "Java Web" on the show. How could I have missed that? I looked all over for the "Java Web" and the whole time it was right there in front of me. They just cover the sign that says "Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt" with a "Java Web" sign. Add tables to the sidewalk, fake bushes in front and there it is! We had dessert there. After we went in some of the shops, we crossed back over to the beach. It's weird because all of a sudden you start seeing all of these familiar sites. They just pop up at you. I was walking down some steps and I looked back and realized that it was the spot where Emily almost got smashed by that van when she went blind. I walked down the beach looking for Ben's and Annie's homes. I didn't think I would ever find them but then there they were. They look exactly like they do on TV. There were some workers on the roof. I walked down the sidewalk by them and the person that lives in Annie's house (or Bette & Emily's, or Olivia's or whoever's living in it for the day) had the windows open. If the owner of the house is reading this I did not touch your house. I promise! I could see in from the sidewalk. Anyway, it looked a lot different from the interior set they use for Annie. Annie's is more colorful and artsy (or at least used to be until Bette made some changes). About ten houses down from Annie's and Ben's was "Surf Central". It seems a lot bigger in person. Taller. I was looking for the cat ("Oreo") that we see sometimes outside of it but I couldn't find him. I also couldn't find Ricardo's apartment, the Richards' house and their old house or the buildings used for "The Deep" and "Shockwave". I'm sure they were around somewhere though. If it were up to me I would have spent all day looking for them but we had things to do and I wasn't the one driving. I took a bunch of photos.
This is also "Sunset Beach" related. I went to the home of Aaron Spelling (also the home of SB star Randy (Sean). They invited me in to watch a movie in their theater. Not really. They had the gates closed so you couldn't really see a whole lot of the house. It was neat though

LATER THAT DAY...
After we left Seal Beach, we went to Long Beach to the Queen Mary. I got an unexpected surprise when I spotted Patrick Muldoon (Ex-Austin, Days of Our Lives). He and Roy Scheider of "Jaws" were there filming a movie. Patrick looked so good! He was all dressed up in a black suit and tie. He walked right in front of me and I started to follow him. I didn't go up to him because he was having publicity photos taken for the the movie and he was busy. I wanted to so bad though. Actually the real reason I didn't approach him was because I was too shy and you never know how a celebrity will react. So I didn't want to be disappointed. I'm sure he's very nice though. Later I looked out one of the windows of the ship and saw that the actors' trailers were set up in the parking lot so I zoomed in with the video camera and saw Patrick down below. I got a couple of minutes of him on videotape until he went into his trailer. At least I got that!

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Email: kimrenee2@aol.com